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Huskies Top Pepperdine In Shootout

SEATTLE (AP) -Jon Brockman had 25 points and 12 rebounds in his first game as Washington's new leader to send the No. 17 Huskies to a 99-91 victory over Pepperdine in the Basketball Travelers Classic on Sunday night.

Freshman Quincy Pondexter added 21 points and seven rebounds. Touted classmate Spencer Hawes thrilled the home crowd with 12 points, five rebounds, seven assists and four blocks off the bench in the lightning-like debut for a Washington team that has nine freshmen and sophomores on its 13-man roster.

Pepperdine is returning four starters from last season's 7-20 team that finished eighth in the West Coast Conference. But the Waves are missing Michael Gerrity, who average 14 points a game, for at least the next two weeks because of a foot injury.

After Washington went up by 19 points, its largest lead, early in the second half, Pepperdine fought back to get within 62-53 on a 3-pointer by Tomas Pranciliauskas with 14 minutes left. But the Huskies scored the next seven points - including three from Brockman - to put the game away.

Brockman, the sophomore team captain, was 11-for-16 from the field.

Pondexter continually found open paths on slashes through the lane while scoring all but one of his nine baskets at the rim. His ninth came after soaring to grab Adrian Oliver's lob for a thunderous dunk with just over 5 minutes left.

Washington, ranked among the nation's top six scoring teams each of the last three seasons, continued to run off its pressure defense Sunday. The Huskies forced 13 of Pepperdine's 23 turnovers in the first half, which ended with Washington up 52-37.

The Huskies raced to a 16-2 lead during a rousing, initial flurry in which Pondexter scored eight points. After Pepperdine steadied and briefly closed to within 7 midway through the half, Washington pushed the lead to 43-27 on a steal and layup from Harvey Perry. Justin Dentmon's second 3-pointer put them up 50-33, the largest lead of the opening period.

Hawes, the 7-footer and McDonald's All-America from Seattle who is perhaps the Huskies' most ballyhooed recruit ever, even ran well. He practiced for the first time last week following arthroscopic surgery on his right knee last month.

Hawes added several deft touch passes to teammates for layups that drew gasps from the crowd. The night's loudest cheers came when Hawes passed inside to Brockman for a layup then had consecutive blocks at the other end with 8 1/2 minutes left.